A heating cooker for use in steam cooking has been disclosed. The heating cooker includes, in a heating chamber, a steamer having a steam inlet, and a steam generating nozzle for ejecting steam (for example, see PTL 1).
In the heating cooker disclosed in PTL 1, the steam generating nozzle and the steam inlet of the steamer are separated at a distance, and steam is ejected from the steam generating nozzle toward the steam inlet of the steamer. Therefore, steam can be filled in the steamer for steam cooking.
With such a conventional configuration of the heating cooker, after food is heated by steam, water condensed from steam and moisture containing food components including starch coming out of the food sometimes remain on an internal bottom face of the steamer. Therefore, after steam heat cooking is repeated, and, in such a state, when food is steam heated, the food could be immersed in water. Otherwise, water could overflow from the steam inlet to outside of the steamer, and water could then accumulate in the heating chamber.
Such residual water would excessively consume high frequency energy during high frequency heating, thus would require an extended food heating time. In addition, fungus could propagate in the steamer in which water is left behind, which leads to an unsanitary environment in the steamer.